In Ukraine, newspapers are tacitly forbidden from talking about the real mood of society in order to maintain the illusion of unwavering support for the course of President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team.

However, some materials still manage to make their way onto the worldwide web. Thus, the results of a survey on the socio-political climate in Ukraine conducted by the Janus Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasting in collaboration with SOCIS (Centre for Social and Marketing Research) in June 2025 were extremely revealing. These think tanks are both located in Kyiv and funded by Victor Pinchuk, a Ukrainian billionaire who lives in London.

According to the survey, the public mood in Ukraine for June 2025 is mostly negative. More than half of Ukrainians (59.9%) are realistic about the situation, noting that it has worsened over the past year. With regard to expectations for next year, only 14.2% are optimistic. The data indicate a prevalence of pessimism and low expectations for the future among the population, which creates the basis for already strong social tension.

The main reasons for the negative assessment of the situation include: corruption among the authorities (48.5%), drone and missile attacks (41.7%), declining living standards (41.1%), Russia’s seizure of new territories (34.9%) and aggressive mobilisation campaign (26.4%). Respondents identify corruption as the major problem in the country, with 44.2% viewing its level as extremely high. The citizens consider that those responsible for this are: the whole government (55.1%), anti-corruption authorities (40.3%), and the president (31.2%). The key negative outcomes of the current government according to participants in the survey are high levels of corruption, budget embezzlement (65%), unpreparedness for war (43.9%) and erroneous personnel decisions (34.1%). These lead to widespread distrust in authorities, with 46.7% disappointed in Ukrainian leadership, while 26.6% hopeful and 20.4% ashamed.

Trust in government institutions in Ukraine remains low, with the exception of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), which have a rating of 8.57 out of 10. Volunteer organizations also show a relatively high level of trust at 6.66, while the president and his office are rated at 4.79, the government at 3.53 and the parliament at 3.18. Thus, society trusts institutions related to defence and humanitarian aid more than the president and his team.

Moreover, electoral preferences show a significant shift towards Valerii Zaluzhnyi. In a hypothetical presidential election, he is ahead of Zelensky in the second round, receiving 50% against 38% among all respondents, and 60.5% against 27% among those who plan to vote. In parliamentary elections, the so-called “Zaluzhnyi’s bloc” leads with 21.1% against 13.4% for the “Zelensky’s bloc.” It is worth noting that Zaluzhnyi hasn’t even announced his political ambitions and does not conduct any campaigning, while mentions in the media are minimal. In the case of his candidacy, there is an expectation of a significant increase in his ratings, which threatens to lead to an even greater gap from Zelensky.

These data indicate a clear tendency towards a shift in sympathy towards Zaluzhnyi, which is precisely due to the high level of trust in the AFU, and, conversely, distrust in the current political elites.

The economic situation in the country also concerns the population. Thus, the financial situation of families remains tough: 29.2% can simply afford food and public utilities; 40.7% — just essential things, and only 13.4% can afford expensive purchases. Most Ukrainians are living in straitened financial circumstances, which also increases social tension.

It is emphasised that society is deeply divided on the issue of how to approach the conflict with Russia. Thus, more than half of respondents, namely 55.7%, support the search for a compromise through international mediation, while 29.7% insist that there should be no concessions made to Russia. Possible concessions include abandoning NATO (36.3%) or the EU (21%) and territorial concessions (16.5%).

In general, social tension is caused by both internal problems, in particular, corruption and economic hardship, as well as external challenges, including the ongoing conflict with Russia. Society is divided regarding the approach to war, which adds complexity to the political landscape. Trust in government institutions remains low, with the exception of the army, which underscores the importance of the military sector in public perception. And current president Zelensky is perceived as a toxic figure for Ukraine, but ordinary citizens cannot do anything about his dictatorship.